What should be done about a near-miss in radiology?

• A. Report it and analyze for corrective actions.
• B. Ignore it to avoid blame.
• C. Only discuss with the patient.
• D. Delete the record to avoid consequences.

Answer: (B)

Near-misses are events that could have caused harm but didn’t, and the aim is to learn from them to prevent recurrence. The best practice is to report the near-miss and conduct a systematic review to uncover contributing factors and implement corrective actions. A non-punitive, blame-free reporting culture encourages staff to come forward with these events, which is essential for improving processes and safety across the radiology workflow. Ignoring the near-miss lets risk persist, while discussing only with a patient or deleting the record prevents learning and undermines accountability and quality assurance.